The Ghost & The Heiress
by xOpinionatedxJadedx
Summary: & summary inside & Emmaleigh Allen is a 20 year old college girl who's struggling not only with her own difficult life and past, but her special abilities that she tries to ignore. Now she's inherited Murder House from a long dead descendant, and all the
1. Disclaimer

& A Quick Note &

Okay,so those of you who know me via polyvore and my other accounts.. You've probably realized that I just recently bought the entire first and second season of this amazing little show, American Horror Story and.. I am obsessed.

Behind, sadly, but obsessed all the same. And Murder House (season one) gave so much good things to work from, continue telling the story of the house and the characters in it.. I do not own any of the characters or plots mentioned on the show, nor did I create it. I wish to hell I'd thought of it, really, but sadly, I didn't.

I do however, own my original character, Emmaleigh Allen, and the plot I sort of halfassed have in mind for this I go any farther, she's a descendant of the Dr. and Nora, on Nora's side, she's a great grand niece or something. I know this has probably been done thousands of times already. But this is my own twist on that sort of plot. And I have a lot in mind for it, actually. I'm gonna do my best with it, and I hope to Christ above that it's tolerable and none of the characters are assassinated in the process. I mean I've watched the whole thing at least 3 times now and I decided what the hell, I have to at least try this, right?

It'll give me a break from my fluffy little wwe themed romances for a bit. I'm not stopping those, but I am going to work on this one too, along with them.

This is au and it's set post Murder house, probably 3 or 4 years after the Harmon family is all dead and the house is empty. The idea in itself came from the Sixth Sense (because of Emmaleigh's abilities), and House on Haunted Hill, or the Haunting (in how the house/Nora 'find her' to bring her there).. The rest is purely from my own imagination but might be inspired by things I watch or read about elsewhere, which those will be credited when and if I actually use anything.

This is my first ever American Horror Story: Murder House fanfiction, so I'm sorry if I royally fuck it up.

&Changes I'm Making Or Have Made&

_**Addie never died in the Halloween episode.**_ I saw her as so much more than just an occasional filler character, and it broke my heart when the poor girl died. She'll be in and out of the story sporadically, still, but she will have a more defined role than she did before being axed on the show.

_**Violet died in the hospital, as did Vivian and one of her babies**.** Ben may or may not have died in the house, haven't quite decided on that yet** _as I kinda fell in love with the bastard on the show. So Violet and Vivian plus one of her babies will NOT be hanging around the house as spirits. I ship Violate, but I also have a thing for bad boys, and I wanted the road free and clear for my oc and Tate to get together.

_**Constance does have the remaining twin.**_ That all played out as it did on the show, however.. She's only just returning to town herself, having taken the little boy (if anyone knows his name it'd be a huge help, thanks) away for almost 3 years to live and grow. _**I might change the part about the kid being a cannibal, lol.. He might just be a normal (although slightly deranged/psychotic) little boy.**_

**** IF I MAKE ANY MORE CHANGES OR INTRODUCE ANYMORE NEW CHARACTERS TO THE SCOPE OF THE SHOW, I'LL EXPLAIN IT ALL IN NOTES AT THE BEGIN OR END OF A CHAPTER****

**& The Psycho Ghost & The Runaway Heiress &**

Emmaleigh Allen is a 20 year old girl who's had a tough life. Her mother was in and out of jail and rehab as she grew up, and she wasn't ever really around for her, so Emmaleigh practically raised herself. At a young age, she began to realize that she could 'hear and see' people that others couldn't. But when she talked about it, people thought she was making up cute stories or worse, she was crazy and so she buried that part of herself as deeply as possible, ignoring and medicating it away.

Now she's 20 and living on her own in her late mother's home, struggling to work and go to college, when she gets a letter and a necklace from someone claiming to represent a long dead descendant's estate, in California. She contacts the realtor for more information and winds up going to check out the house.. Before she's even there, things began to happen to her.

Once she gets there, she decides to stay, against her better judgement. But when one of the houses non living residents, Tate Langdon, decides he wants her and he'll stop at nothing to have her, will things finally work out this time? Will Emmaleigh finally have the home and stability she's always craved and will Tate finally have someone to love that will love him back?

Or is this love story doomed from the start?


	2. Chapter 1

_CHAPTER ONE_

The letter came on a Friday, just as 20 year old Emmaleigh Montgomery was getting back from classes at the performing art school she attended on scholarship. She spotted it, in it's manilla envelope, propped against the door, with a box beneath it, the box tied in raffia ribbon, the kind that those little old ladies who love to craft use to wrap packages.

She rubbed the back of her neck as she looked around to see if the person who actually left the package on her mom's doorstep was still lurking, because she hadn't expected anyone, nor was she expecting a package of any sort, and definitely not all the way from California.

Shrugging, she flicked her cigarette behind her into the dying yard, and walked into the double wide she'd called home off and on her entire life, flopping down onto a couch, turning on the stereo full blast as she opened up a diet soda and then tore into the letter using one of her mother's 'heirloom' kitchen knives.

She gaped at the letter a moment, brow raised, hand in her caramel blonde hair as she bit her lower lip and mused aloud "Okay, so we're like, heiresses or something? And we inherited a house? There's gotta be a catch to it or something." as her cell phone rang.

She scowled at the caller id, threw the phone down and muttered again "Not talking to you, Vinnie. We're fucking done." as she leaned back into the chair she'd sort of fallen into when she'd read the letter seconds before.

She took a few long and deep breaths as she scanned through the letter, then tore open the wrapped box, laughing a little when a set of keys fell out, and so did a very old looking necklace with a black and ivory cameo on it. The necklace, when she touched it, felt oddly enough, warm, and it sent a burning sensation searing through the hand it was in which made her drop the damn thing on the counter and gape at it a moment.

"What the hell? Who were we related to, Ma?" she mused as she shoved the letter, keys and necklace out of sight, finishing off her drink as she stretched and stripped down from her sweaty dance clothes, intent on going to get a shower.

Instead, the pain hit her like a blinding flash, and she felt the temperature in the air dropping. She rubbed her arms and then swearing through gritted teeth, grabbed her cell phone and walked down the hallway to the laundry room where the circuit breaker's box was located.

None of the circuits were thrown.

She checked the thermostat for the house's central heat and air, and it hadn't moved an inch over the usual comfy 65 to 70 degrees. She raised a brow and bit her lower lip, the hairs on the back of her neck were standing at attention and she could've sworn she heard a female voice _whispering_ in her ear quietly, _'Come home, Emma. The house is as much your home as it would've been your mother's.' _while up and down the hallway she stood in the middle of, every window and door opened and slammed shut, simultaneously.

"What the fuck is this?" Emmaleigh muttered as she repeated over and over "not real. All lies. Not real. None of this is real. It's a bad dream, Em, wake up." and ran to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

_'Now you know this isn't a dream, Emma. That's a beautiful name.. If I'd had a chance to be a mother, to have another child, and she'd been a girl, I'd have named her Emmaleigh. Come home.. The house needs you there. You need the house. And you have to admit, you're curious.'_

Emmaleigh plugged her ears and sat on her bed cross legged, rocking back and forth. This.. The voices.. They were what made her mother hate her so much. They were what got her beaten in all of the foster homes she'd been in, got her made fun of in school, outcasted. And she thought she'd gotten control of the situation.

Why was it coming back now?

What about the letter and package triggered this?

"I'm not crazy, I'm a fucking grown up. I've spent my entire life taking care of me, of this problem. I will not let it take over now. I will not be like my mother" she said firmly as she looked at herself in the mirror, the golden brown eyes in her own reflection almost laughing at her, dancing in mocking merriment.

Was she crazy?

–

She woke up a few hours later with a pounding head and a crick in her neck so bad that she couldn't turn her head too far to the left. The headache, she reasoned, was probably from the alcohol in her mom's 'stash' that she'd consumed in a large amount, to actually pass out and make the voices stop because the voices were back and it was scaring the shit out of her.

And making her angry, because she thought she had all this under control. She'd put it all behind her, the voices, the people she used to see in dreams (or more like it, nightmares), who tried to get her to 'help' them with something or other.

The worst of it, the seeing them walking around, acting as normal as any other living person.. She'd gotten a damn good shrink to write her a damn good perscription as a teen and she'd medicated that part of herself away.

For years now, that had all been quietly in the back of her mind, untapped, unused and not bothering her, making her afraid, giving her the sleepless nights and panic attacks it used to bring on.

Now that it was back, she wasn't sure what she was going to do, really. Should she go back to the shrink that gave her the script for the first pills and ask for some stronger stuff? Or start seeing him again?

She groaned and bit her lower lip. That wasn't even an option, she was a student, working part time, with no real great income. She couldn't afford whatever mental breakdown the letter and the package she'd gotten earlier tonight was apparently going to trigger.

The voice's taunting her kept on and she growled as she tore the top off of a bottle of Jack Daniels and gulped it down, wincing and coughing at the burn and wondering briefly why in the name of God her mother drank the stuff like water when she'd been alive. It tasted horrible and bitter to her.

"I say I'm nothing like her, but damned if I'm not knee deep in the bottle right now because I'm hearing voices and stuff." she mused aloud as she stood in front of her counter, the letter catching her eye, the font it was typed in making her laugh a little. It looked like the same fonts they used to subtitle those really, really crappy horror movies and tv shows that she didn't let herself watch often.

The letter sat there, taunting her.

This house, the one she was currently living in, rather, was about to be lost to her.. She was barely making enough to pay all the utilities, not to mention the 3 or 4 notes behind her mother was on the place. The bank was already calling, harassing her about what she wanted done with it, to clear the debt from her mother's name, keep herself from becoming responsible for it.

She drummed her fingers impatiently. This house was hers, (or her mother's, which made it hers when her mother died a few months ago, as she was over the little bit of possessions her mother did have) and she wouldn't have to pay anything but her utility bills, and expenses for basic necessities.

And California was near the performing arts school she wanted to go to someday, as well as several elite dance groups. She could pursue her dream.

Something she wasn't going to do here in Florida. Not to the degree she wanted to, rather.

She paced the kitchen, glaring at the letter through alcohol hazed eyes, wondering why she couldn't just get it all off her mind, write it off as a bad night and go on. The weird dream from the nap she'd only just woken from kept replaying in her mind and she paced, trying to make sense of it.

Reaching for the phone, she dialed the number of the realtor who'd sent her the paperwork and the letter, and when she got a voicemail, she left a message and hung up. She figured that would end the whole thing, but it didn't.

Her eyes landed on the cameo choker and she picked it up, held it in her hand. Looking in the mirror, she fastened it on and looked at it on her neck in her reflection in the kitchen window a few moments before laughing and shaking her head, taking the thing off. Like before, it burnt her hands and that caused her to drop the damn thing onto the counter. "What the fucking hell is wrong with me? This whole thing has me nervous and afraid and reverting back to childhood habits. I grew up, grew outta that." she said firmly as she shook her head, sighed.

By the time the realtor called back, she'd pretty much decided that she could at least go to the house and see the shape it was in. At the very least, she could resell it and make a fortune, maybe save her mom's trailer and pay a good bit of her own bills.

It was worth a shot, right?

That's what she told herself the entire time she was packing for the trip to California. And the entire flight there.


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

(Picks up a few days later)

She pulled her rental car into the driveway of the house and wrinkled her nose, groaned a little. If she'd intended on reselling the place? Not a chance. The yard was at least a good 3 or 4 years overgrown and the exterior was in bad need of repair.

She swore as she raked her hands through her hair, and then a gentle breeze blew past her, and she could almost swear that it whispered her name. The tap to her shoulder from behind had her springing into the air and turning abruptly to find the realtor, a plump and short woman with brown hair, standing there.

"Didn't you hear me pulling in and honking?" the realtor asked as Emmaleigh shook her head and said "No, I guess not." in a quiet tone as she looked at the woman over the rim of her dark tinted sunglasses.

"You're alone?" the woman inquired as she laughed and then stopped, realizing the woman asked a valid question."Yeah.. My mom couldn't come with me... She's been dead almost a year now. I came in her place. Look, if you don't believe me, you can call around and ask."

"That won't be necessary. I've checked into you, you check out. And I actually just discovered your mother was dead" the realtor said as Emmaleigh bit her lower lip and then nodding to the house asked "How long has the place been empty?" in curiousity.

"Almost 3 years now. The last family lived here in 2011, lovely people they were.. A shrink and his wife, their teenage daughter. It's a shame, what happened to them, it really is." the realtor said carefully, the strange tone in her voice making Emmaleigh ask "What happened?"

"The daughter overdosed and died on her way to the hospital. The wife died in childbirth along with one of her unborn babies. And the man.. They claim he committed suicide in a hotel room across town. Nobody's really sure what happened to him, actually."

Emmaleigh grimaced and then said quietly, "Wow.. That's.. That's horrible. At least none of them died here, huh?" as the woman laughed in a strange way for a moment and then said "I guess you could look at it that way. Either way, as your realtor and the holder of your descendant's estate for nearly ten years now, I'm required by law to tell you, Ms. Montgomery, there have been 3 deaths on the property."

Emmaleigh shivered when the woman spoke those words and considered a moment getting in her rental car, leaving now while she still had a chance. The realtor asked quietl y, "Your mother.. How did she pass? My investigation didn't really mention anything to that regard."

"She overdosed. She had.. She was sick. I'd really rather not discuss it with someone I barely know, alright?" Emmaleigh said through gritted teeth as the woman nodded and said quietly, "It's always hard to lose someone. Especially a parent."

"We weren't close.. She barely had anything to do with me." Emmaleigh said quietly, raked her hand through her hair as she got down to business and asked the question she was dreading the answer to, "So.. Can we actually resell the place?"

The realtor shook her head and said quietly, "This house.. It's got a reputation around here.. They call it Murder House. I suppose I should tell you now.. Maybe if I'd told the others.." while grimacing, feeling the momentary pang of guilt she normally did, especially since the Harmon's deaths almost 3 years ago.

"Damn it." Emmaleigh grumbled as she looked at the house and then said quietly, "Can I go in and look around? I just.. I need to think, okay?"

The realtor handed her a key and gave a nod, following behind her. They walked through the sagging front gate and across the dying lawn, her combat boots making steady footfalls on the stone pavers that lead up to the front door.

"This glass? It's Tiffany?" Emmaleigh asked as the realtor nodded and said "The story goes that when the Doctor had the house built for his wife, he picked the glass to match her eyes."

"Okay then.." Emmaleigh muttered as she turned the key in the door and it squeaked open.

The usual musky smell of a house that hasn't been lived in for a few years hit her nose along with a strange underlying odor.. Or was she imagining the secondary odor?

Maybe a gas leak?

The thought had her groaning.

Stepping into the front entry, she was shocked, and almost pleasantly shocked to find that apparently the last owners in 2011 did an extensive remodel. "Wow.. They didn't finish the outside?"

The realtor shook her head and said "The outside only actually needs minor repairs. It's completely livable." as she leaned in a doorway, watching the girl with a curious expression as the girl walked around the rooms, down the halls, peeked in doors and looked around. She called out to the girl just as the girl was about to go down to the basement, "There is actually a wine cellar in one side of the basement as well as a fuse room, another small bathroom.. But the door on the end of the hall.. you must never open it."

Emmaleigh snickered quietly to herself as she muttered under her breath, "This place is starting to look more and more tempting. It's close to the school I really wanna go to, I can get a job, it's fucking huge.." while walking down the basement hallway , looking around carefully. She didn't want to miss something that might cost a lot of money to fix later on.

She bit her lower lip as she heard the voice again, softly, _'This.. It's home now, darling. This house needs proper care.. And you need a home, stability. It belongs to you. Just like the necklace.'_

She gritted her teeth and tugged at her hair as she muttered over and over "Not real. Go away. Not real."

The realtor spoke up from behind her and asked with a raised brow, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just.. I got spooked." Emmaleigh lied as she took a few deep breaths and thought for a split second before saying "What do I need to sign?"

The realtor thrust the papers at her and then said "My number is in the paperwork. Just in case you need something." as she looked at the girl a few moments, wondering if this were a good idea, leaving the girl all alone in a house that had killed numerous times before.

Emmaleigh signed the papers that gave her sole ownership of the house and the 'estate' left behind by her long dead descendant Nora Montgomery and the also long dead husband, Dr. Montgomery. She held them out to the realtor and then asked "So.. The lights and water.. Do they still work or have they been shut off?"

"They're off, I'm almost certain." the realtor said as Emmaleigh nodded. Just to be positive, because the realtor was almost certain they'd cut the lights and water at least 4 months after Dr. Harmon and his family died, she reached out to flip a nearby light switch, gasping in shock when the light flickered and came on.

"I thought... These lights were supposed to have been turned off." the realtor muttered to herself as Emmaleigh shrugged and said "Maybe someone from your office called and asked they be turned on for a little while?"

"I haven't.. I haven't shown this place to anyone in almost the entire time it's been vacant." the realtor said as Emmaleigh's mind began to insist frantically, _'That's it, get the fuck out of here, right now.. If the lights aren't supposed to be active and they are.. And she knows something is fishy about this house, look at her fidgeting.. Don't keep standing here, moron, get the fuck out of here now!'_

Then the voice spoke again, softly, gently, almost as if it were a mother speaking to her child in affection, explaining something, soothing them after a nightmare and said "_You spent almost your whole childhood taking care of everybody else.. The house will take care of you now. And so will I. You are family, after all."_

She bit her lower lip and gritted her teeth, trying to act as if her mind and some unknown entity weren't battling around inside her head right now. Because she had the slightest feeling that the woman knew all about her 'episodes' in childhood, and was judging her, even though the woman tried her very best not to show it.

"Maybe there's a reasonable explanation." Emmaleigh said calmly as she looked at the realtor and wondered why the fuck she was standing there, making excuses. This was weird, the whole situation just stunk, really, yet she wasn't running out the damn door like most people's common sense would predicate that they do.

"Maybe." the realtor said as she touched the girls hands again and said firmly, in a gentle tone, "If you need anything, Emmaleigh.. Don't hesitate to call my number."

Emmaleigh nodded and the realtor practically fled from the house, another thing that should've been a red flag, but instead of taking a cue from the realtor and doing the same, Emmaleigh shut the front door and turned to look around the house that lie behind her.

"It is free.. And I am only 20, just starting college. And it is close to any major opportunity I might have to make it into my dream career." Emmaleigh said as she dialed the number of the bank in her old home town, left a voicemail for the accountant that handled her mother's mortgage on the trailer.

She told the man to sell it, just to at least let her have her things shipped here first, and then she left her new address after looking through the paperwork to find it. Hanging up her cell phone, she turned on a radio that sat on a shelf and then she flopped down onto a sofa that was covered by white drop cloth and took a few deep and heavy breaths as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Monday she'd call around about the lights and water.. And start to look for a job or something. Maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe for once in her life she was finally getting a break in life.

_'Or maybe this fucking house wants to kill you too' _she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep on the sofa in the parlor slash den of the house.

–

The sound of The Coasters playing at low volume on a radio was what drew Tate Langdon into the parlor of Murder House. He raised a brow, recognizing the old song from when Violet's mother used to play the music around the house before they all died.

The girl lie there on the couch, not moving, her chest rising and falling as it should when a person was sleeping, and he noticed that she had to be around his age, yet she still sucked her thumb in sleep.

The thought made him smirk a little to himself, as did the way she was dressed, in some pale pink knee length tulle skirt, a tanktop and black leather jacket, a pair of biker boots that looked like they'd certainly seen better days.

"Now who the hell are you?" he mused aloud as he watched the girl tossing and turning in her sleep, curious. He sat down in another chair nearby, legs folded Indian style and watched her intently for a long time.

Spotting a purse on the table just inside the doorway in the entrance foyer, he stood and walked over, grabbing the purse, dumping it out.

He raised the pill bottle up and read the label, looked at the sleeping girl from where he stood in the doorway of the room she slept in, shaking his head, muttering quietly, "What's she take this shit for?"

He found a wallet and dug through it, finding hardly any money, a plane ticket stub, and her license that gave her name as Emmaleigh Brianne Montgomery of Florida. She was apparently 19, and a student at some college in Florida, if the campus id badge were anything to go by when he fished it out of her purse next.

He uncapped a tube of bright crimson lipstick, kind of like the color his mom used to wear when he was younger and she wasn't so inebriated that she couldn't be bothered with makeup and chuckled as he looked at the girl.

He found her cell phone and went through it, found a few pictures, read some of her texts and shut it. He didn't care that he was violating her privacy right now, he was just curious, sort of drawn to the girl lying there sleeping for some reason or another, so he justified his snooping as 'answering his questions' about the girl, without having to actually wake the girl up and ask her.

The overnight bag she'd bought in came next, and he pulled out lacy, frilly, leather and satiny things, tossing them to the side, looking for anything other than lingerie, something that might give him a deeper glance into the girl, something that just clothes and id wouldn't tell him.

He wanted, no he had to know everything about this new stranger. She was, after all, in his house.

Or the house he was stuck in for eternity.

He'd just finished shoving all the clothing and stuff back into her bags when he heard Nora speak up from behind him, a scolding tone to her voice as she asked "What are you doing?"

"Looking at her stuff. Why?" Tate asked, turning to look over his shoulder at Nora who said calmly, "You can thank me later." before walking off, smiling to herself. Now maybe she'd get the baby that Tate promised he'd get her.

And she'd have her family around again. She'd always wanted a daughter when she'd been alive.. Maybe she could sort of vicariously 'mother' Emmaleigh.

She'd gotten Emmaleigh to stay, after all, so it stood to reason that there was hope.

–

Emmaleigh woke up and rubbed her eyes, scowling when she realized that she'd slept an entire afternoon away and it was now dark.. And she was now starved. And had nothing to eat in the house.

Standing, she went to grab her keys and realized that her purse was in the entrance foyer, sitting on the table.. Or at least that's what she thought she'd done with it before lying down.. But she found it sitting neatly on top of the table in front of the covered up couch she'd been sleeping on for over half the afternoon.

"How'd it get there?" she wondered aloud before shrugging and muttering "Maybe I did bring it in after all." and digging around for the keys to her rental car, determined to get something to eat. Knocking on the door had her raising a brow.. Nobody knew she was here, and she didn't think any of the neighbors had looked their way once when she'd been talking to the realtor in the yard and on the porch of the house earlier in the day.

"Who is it?" she asked as a woman answered from the other side, "It's Constance.. I'm ya neighbor.. From down the street?"

She grumbled as she turned the knob and opened the door. Constance eyed the girl and asked "Is your mama around?"

"No, she's not. I'm the owner of this heap." Emmaleigh gestured as she asked "What did you need?"

"Just wanted to introduce myself, me and my grandson.. And my daughter Addie." Constance said as she stepped aside and let Addie see the girl she'd watched like a hawk from their living room window earlier today.

The little boy grinned up at her from beneath a wild mop of blondish brown hair and waved quietly. Emmaleigh smiled and said "Hi." to both Addie and the little boy. The little boy tugged on Constance's hand and whispered something to his grandmother who laughed and said "Well if you want her to come over, ask her."

Addie beat him to it, determined to get to know the girl, warn her about the house and the little boy standing beside Constance, warn her that she needed to leave now.. She didn't want anybody else getting hurt like Violet had.

Violet had been one of her only friends and she missed her.

"You're gonna die here.. You need to go." Addie said as Constance gave the girl a sharp unseen pinch and hissed "Shut up, girl. You're gonna ruin this for Nora and Tate and then Nora's gonna be mad as hell at you."

Addie gulped but kept quiet as she looked at the girl and asked "Are you a ballerina?" while nodding at her skirt, curiousity in her eyes as she asked. Emmaleigh laughed a little while her stomach churned and she puzzled over the girl's warning seconds before.

"Actually, I'm kinda trying to become one."

Constance studied the girl carefully. She did have the dancer's body. And she looked barely a day over 18, which prompted Constance to ask bluntly, "And that realtor signed this place over to ya? Ya don't look old enough to be on your own, girl."

Emmaleigh laughed a little, said calmly, "Lady, I've been on my own longer than I can remember. I'm 20, I think I'll be fine." as Constance said with a smug smile, "Ya sure about that, Emmaleigh? I was about your age when I came out here too.. Look what happened to me.. Raising my grandson on my own, and this one." giving Addie a scowl of disgust.

"What happened to his parents?" Emmaleigh asked as Constance said simply, "My son died. So did this one's mama."

Emmaleigh nodded and said quietly, "I was just going to find somewhere to eat... Any suggestions?"

"I've got something cooked." Constance said nonchalantly as Emmaleigh thought it over and said quietly, "I don't wanna intrude.." as Constance said 'There's a diner down the street then.. It's near the beach."

"Okay.. So maybe I can see you guys later?" Emmaleigh asked, not sure why the three of them kept lingering or why Addie looked like she was dying to tell her something but she was maybe a little afraid of the older woman with them to actually say anything.

"Yeah, maybe." Constance said as she lead Addie and her grandson down the pathway, and across the road, into their own yard.

Emmaleigh got into her rental car and pulled out, heading to the diner Constance mentioned earlier, her mind swimming with things that bothered her about this entire situation. She flipped through the radio and settled on Guns N Roses, humming along as she lit a cigarette, she smoked when she was nervous, and right now she was probably more nervous than she ever had been before..

She turned into the parking lot of the diner, parked her car and sat there, thinking things over. Had she acted too quickly and gotten herself into something she shouldn't have, moving into the house?


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

(picks up a few days later)

The moving trucks pulled into the driveway right behind her, and she heard her friend Gia call her name, toss the keys to her car to her and then let out a long low whistle as she looked at her and said "Damn Em.. You inherited the Addams Family Mansion, huh girl?"

Emmaleigh shot her the bird and said with a laugh "Damn looks like it, huh?" as she hugged her friend and said quietly, "It's been one hell of a weird weekend. Come inside, girl, I'll tell you all about it." as she led her friend into the house.

She happened to look up at one of the windows on an upper story, and she could've sworn she saw someone standing in it, watching her like a hawk.

She shrugged it off and then said "So.. How was the drive?"

"The drive was awesome. There are some pretty sights between Florida and California. The bank came by your mom's, put a foreclosure sign on the lawn.. Everybody's asking where you went to, some of the ladies down at the center were worried."

"Ahh.. So did you tell them? Or did you leave it a mystery? Hell, those old biddies were probably gonna make up whatever the blue hell they wanted anyway, so I guess it won't matter." Emmaleigh said as her friend giggled and said "So.. You're really gonna do this? Live here alone? Try to become a famous dancer or something?"

"It looks like it." Emmaleigh said as she pulled a slice of the cheese pizza sitting in a box between them out of the box it was in and took a huge bite.

"So.. Did you figure out why the lights were on after nobody's lived here for almost 4 years?" Gia asked as Emmaleigh shrugged and said "The power company and the water company both said some blonde woman walked in one afternoon a week before I even got the letter and paid up front, asked that the lights and water at this address be turned back on.. Said she worked for that realtor who got in touch with me. Never gave her own name though."

"And you just let it go?" Gia asked as Emmaleigh nodded and said calmly, "What the hell do you think, girl? This is me we're talking about. Yes, I let it go. I got it switched over and reactivated in my name."

"Ahh.. So... When are we throwing the mother of all house parties, lady of the manor?" Gia joked as Emmaleigh glared playfully and said "As soon as I meet the non creepy neighbors.. I mean the little boy is so freakin adorable.. but his grandmother's kind of creepy... In that Mommy Dearest kinda way. And Addie, she's a sweetheart, I worry about her, she seemed scared of her mom." Emmaleigh explained as she bit into her pizza again, said with a shrug, "I did get a job though."

"No shit.. And you've only been here a few days? Doing what?" Gia asked in concern as Emmaleigh said "You are looking at a glorified office temp. I've got my first job on Thursday, actually, filling in the office at Westfield High, their own secretary is leaving to go on maternity. I think the principal didn't wanna let me take the job, because I look so young, and I am only 20, but for some reason or another, he gave me a call back after the agency sent me over to the school for an interview."

"Look at you girl, making shit happen." Gia said as she poured them both more moscato wine and raised a glass, toasting in a teasing tone, "To my girl.. The go getter.. And a sexy bitch that I'm gonna miss sooooo bad. Now who am I going to call at 2 am when I'm drunk and I've locked myself out of the house?"

"Umm? That hot locksmith that lives down the road?" Emmaleigh teased as she sighed and said "I miss you too.. I just.. This place, it feels like home.. Or something like home I guess? I can even overlook all the crazy stuff that's happened in the past."

Gia's eyes went wide and she asked "What stuff? Define crazy?"

"Deaths.. Lots and lots of deaths.. Accidental ones, murders, suicides, you name it.. I've been looking into the place, because... Well you know how paranoid I am about old houses, that stuff I went through as a kid.." Emmaleigh said quietly as she sipped her wine and leaned in, whispered "This house is basically called Murder House around here. I found that out from a waitress at this diner down the street.. She told me that there's even some kind of Haunted tour that comes by, tells stories about the things that have happened here."

"Have you taken the tour?"

"Hell no girl, I gotta live here now.. I have nothing to go back to in Florida. I'd really rather keep my head in the sand to some degree while I'm here. I mean that one incident I had before I left has been the only major one I've had, I mean I've had a few minor ones since but nothing like the one I had the night before I came here.., and I've had nothing really bad happen to me while I've been here the past few days so maybe it's a load of bullshit, hype for the house to explain why it won't sell in a declining market?"

"Or it's true and you need to get your ass out of here." Gia said as Emmaleigh shook her head and finished off her wine as she said "Not an option, G.. They foreclosed on my mom's place. I have nowhere else to go. Besides.. It's quiet here. I like it."

Gia shivered and said quietly, "It feels like a tomb in here, woman."

"It won't soon.. I've got some decorator coming to look at the place next month.. I just have to get my own things in here, store what I don't use of this other stuff.." Emmaleigh said as she thought she saw a full bodied black figure walk past the door slowly. She tried to ignore it, but her friend happened to turn and catch sight of it too.

The wine bottle crashed to the floor and the two college coeds looked at one another with wide and frightened eyes. "What the fuck was that?"

Emmaleigh bit her lower lip and held a finger up, reached into her purse and pulled out her pocketknife, then stepped out itno the hallway.

Nothing was there but a door down the hall banged shut.

"Maybe it was one of the neighbors playing a prank.. The woman is creepy, remember? I mean I caught her in my fucking kitchen at 8 am.. She didn't even bother to hide that she'd basically just walked right into the damn house after finding where I hid the spare key. Then she sat down and proceeded to talk to me about weird shit."

"Such as?"

"Just weird shit.. She kept asking me all these weird questions." Emmaleigh said as she popped the cork on another bottle of the moscato wine she'd found in the wine cellar and poured it into a wine glass, sat back down, the pocketknife still close by, just in case. "One day, she's gonna piss me off doing that though and I'm gonna stab first and ask why she's here later." Emmaleigh muttered as Gia said with a nod ,"Call the cops. Do you want me to stay tonight?"

"Nah.. I mean I'm okay.. Like I said, It was probably just her or Addie sneaking in. Besides, I'm than Constance, I love it here so far." which made Gia give her a strange look. Emmaleigh had been freaking out a few days ago, afer she'd had an episode and gotten scared, called her.. what had changed since then? She thought about it and quickly realized that Emmaleigh had been acting strange since Gia had gotten here earlier. She just.. She wasn't herself.. Something was off about her friend, she just couldn't quite put a finger on it..

"Not me.. I'm right here." Addie said quietly as she stepped into the room and asked "Can I have a piece?" looking at the pizza box longingly.

"You can, sugar." Emmaleigh said as she moved so the girl could sit down, then said "Gia, this is Addie."

Gia nodded warily and said "Hi Addie." as she took a huge bite of pizza and then looked at her friend with a raised brow. Emmaleigh gave Gia a look and mouthed "Be nice, the poor girl is scared shitless of me as is. Saw one of my episodes earlier this week." as she turned her attention to Addie and asked "So, what have you been up to today, Addie?"

Addie picked at her pizza and said quietly, "Nothing. My mom made me watch stupid Dora again. I'm not a baby." in an insistent tone of voice. Emmaleigh nodded and said quietly, "So.. did you ask her yet?"

"Ask her what?" Gia asked her friend, confused as she looked back and forth between the odd girl and Emmaleigh, totally lost. But she knew Emmaleigh had a soft spot for kids and strays, and helping people in general.. Knowing her friend like she did, she'd be willing to put money on Emmaleigh taking the girl sitting across the table from them, picking at her pizza while watching them both intently, under her wing.

"I'm trying to teach Addie how to do ballet."

Gia almost laughed but Emmaleigh's warning glare kept her silent and she asked instead, "Can she?"

"She's a really, really quick learner, apparently. She can already do en pointe." Emmaleigh stated matter of factly as Gia sat back and thought about the situation her friend was in right now. Something felt off about the house, Gia hadn't bothered hiding that opinion when she'd pulled into the driveway and seen it from the outside.

And the house.. It made Emmaleigh seem different somehow. The fact that Emmaleigh was having her 'episodes' again should have been a huge red flag to her best friend too, but instead, Emmaleigh seemed unconcerned, she'd even laughed off one earlier.

"Are you okay, Em?" Gia asked in concern as Emmaleigh nodded and smiling said "I'm great. I've always wanted to live in a big house, near the beach.. Now all I'm missing is my tall brown eyed guy, huh?"

"Emmaleigh, this place..." Gia started as Addie nodded in agreement and leaned over, whispered to Emmaleigh's friend "I've tried to tell her." which made Gia really look at Emmaleigh with a concerned look. "Is what?" Emmaleigh asked as she added "Can't you just be happy?"

"I am, Em.. But really, it took the estate holder this long to find your mom? And they just let you have the place with little to no questions asked? Emmaleigh, even you have to admit, that sounds fishy."

Emmaleigh mulled it over and said quietly, "It does creep me out.. Being here after dark." as she rubbed her arms and bit her lower lip, wondered aloud, "Is the fucking thermostat stuck in here again? It's getting really cold."

Addie happened to see her brother sitting in the corner, out of sight, eating a stolen slice of pizza and watching Emmaleigh intently. He smirked at her and then retreated to the basement before she could say anything, point out his being there. Tate smirked to himself. Now wasn't the right time to show himself to her. For now, he'd watch her and get to know her. Then he'd show himself.

Then she'd be his, sooner or later. This time, he had to end up with someone to love. He'd had a small taste of what love felt like, with Violet, now the male wanted more. He wanted it permanently. He wanted Emmaleigh to love him, fall for him. He wanted to be the only man in her life. And with no pesky parents in his way this time, maybe that would finally work out for him.

He hated feeling empty.

He hated being out of control.

And since Emmaleigh's arrival a few days ago, he hadn't realized just how empty the past few years alone, without Violet, had left him. And then he'd gotten caught up in watching Emmaleigh, and he'd realized just how out of control of his emotions he was right now. He was vulnerable and he was miserable about it.

A sudden cold chill shot up Gia's arm and she screamed, jumped up and said in a stammering tone, "Something... It just.. It fucking touched me, Em.. And it was.. It felt like ice."

"Gia, seriously.. We both know that that shit isn't real." Emmaleigh said calmly as she ate her pizza and sipped her wine. Gia looked at her and said quietly, "Isn't real, huh? So that episode earlier.. Your panic attacks and those other episodes since before you moved up here.. Explain those, Em." as Em held up her pill bottle and said "Under control, G.. I'm not a baby, okay? I wish for once in our friendship you'd stop trying to mother me. I'll be fine."

Gia looked at her with a raised brow. This wasn't like Emmaleigh, not at all. Emmaleigh rarely ever snapped or got angry. Emmaleigh was different and somehow, Gia had the sick feeling that this house had something to do with it. The doors slammed suddenly and the three girls looked at one another for a moment, each of them freaked out by it.

"Okay, you heard that, Em."

"Gust of wind, G." Emmaleigh said as Addie finished her pizza quietly and then finally stood and said "I'm going now."

"See you later." Emmaleigh said as she waved and got up to close the door behind Addie and turned to face Gia, saying quietly, "Sorry about just now.. I have no idea what got into me.. Maybe it's too much wine, huh?"

"You always were a lightweight, girl." Gia said only half in joking as she stood and said "It's late and I'm drunk.. Do you mind if I crash here tonight?" which Emmaleigh laughed and hugged her friend as she said "Not at all.. It'll be like a sleepover." as Gia nodded and the two of them walked up the stairs. From down the hallway, Nora watched with a raised brow and muttered "I do not like that friend of hers, not at all." and went off to find Thaddeus or Tate, anyone who could rid her of the girl with Emmaleigh.

She'd just gotten her family here after all this time. She wasn't about to lose them because some stupid girl got a 'bad feeling' about the house and Emmaleigh's living in it.

Not when the girl meant so much to her now, and so much to Tate also.. And she'd come to think of Tate as a son, really. Even if he angered her sometimes. She had been his mother when his own mother wouldn't, she'd protected him so many times from dangers his own mother was too blinded by her selfishness to actually see.

"Something will happen to her." Nora muttered to herself in reassurance as she entered the basement, found Tate sitting there, waiting in the dark. "Are you alright?"

"Just thinking." Tate muttered as Nora nodded and said "That girl with her.. If she really tries, we might lose Emmaleigh. You cannot let that happen.. Not if you really love her.. And you really care about me." before turning and walking out of the room, having given her command.

He rolled his eyes but stood, going upstairs to investigate all the same. He wasn't about to risk losing Emmaleigh before he ever got to make his presence known, claim her as his and make her fall in love with him as he was starting to with her.

"You're fuckin pathetic, Langdon.. It's only been a few god damn days. And you think you love her? Pathetic, man." he grumbled to himself as he watched Emmaleigh settling into bed, pulling her blanket over her when she'd fallen asleep.

"Can't have you getting sick or something." he mumbled dismissively as he walked out of the room, shutting her door behind him.

Further down the hall, Gia kept hearing whispering and creaking. She curled into a ball under her blanket, more afraid than she'd ever been in her entire life...


	5. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

(picks up that night and the next day)

_CHAPTER FOUR_

"I really, really don't want to do this." he muttered as he stood in the dark watching Emmaleigh's houseguest sleeping. He paced a few moments, hand woven in his messy hair and then he stopped and looked at the bed again.

"She's Emmaleigh's friend." he muttered as he mulled it over, started pacing all over again. The girl rolled over, rubbing her eyes as she asked "Em?"

"Not quite." Tate answered as he sat down on the edge of the girls bed and stared at a wall as he said "You're putting me in one hell of a position."

"Who the hell are you?" Gia said as she went to scream for Emmaleigh. His hand shot out, covered her mouth and he said quietly as he shook his head, "Don't do that. If you do that, Gia, that is your name, right? You're gonna make me angry.. And we don't want me angry, do we?"

She shook her head with wide eyes as she asked quietly, "You're.. You're not gonna rape me.. Are you?"

He doubled over in laughter and then looked at her, his face going solemn, as he said quietly, "No.. But if you don't leave tomorrow.. Without her.. I don't really think you're gonna like what happens.. You're only still alive because I'm here."

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice wavering as the tears began to fall. He shrugged and said quietly, "I'm your worst nightmare."

"How do you know Em?" Gia asked next, wondering if this were some kind of nightmare.. It had to be, it was too vivid, too horrifying not to be a nightmare. If it weren't a nightmare, something was really, really wrong with this house and Emmaleigh needed to get the hell out of there yesterday, actually.

But this was too bizarre to not be a dream. It couldn't possibly be real.. She looked at him and then said quietly, "Okay, man.. I asked you a question.. How do you know Em?"

"Her name is Emmaleigh. Not Em. And I know her because I live here too. She just doesn't know it."

Gia tried to focus her eyes and then asked him "How the hell do you live here and she isn't aware of it? Are you a hobo?"

Tate laughed dryly and shook his head then said "You're pushing it again, Gia. Lucky I feel the way I do about Emmaleigh.. If I didn't, if I didn't love her, you'd be dead already."

"Oh really.. Well aren't you just a regular Prince Charming?" Gia asked as she reached out to touch him, but found nothing there. He laughed menacingly and then spoke calmly, "You could say that." before appearing again.

"What do you want with her? Are you going to kill her?" Gia asked as she glared at him a few moments. He didn't look much older than Emmaleigh, maybe he was a runaway hiding in the house? Then she realized that she couldn't move or scream, it was almost like she was frozen to her spot on the bed in fear.

"So.. When you wake up tomorrow, you're gonna leave. Unless you wanna die?" Tate suggested calmly, proud of himself for not just killing the damn girl this time. He'd eliminated everything that stood in his way where Violet was concerned and in the end, it only made her hate him, drove her away.

Gia nodded in fear and he vanished. The sound of her shrill scream echoed through the night and then all the lights came on.

Emmaleigh sat upright in bed as her friend began to scream as if she were being murdered. She didn't even grab a robe or put on pajamas before grabbing her pocketknife and running down the hall to the room her friend had picked to sleep in.

"G.. You okay?" she asked as she leaned in the door heavily, trying to catch her breath. Gia pointed and stammered at a corner in the room. "A guy.. He was in here.."

"Gia, seriously?" Emmaleigh asked as she studied her friend in concern and then asked "Did you have a nightmare?"

Gia thought about it a moment, remembered the vague threats that the guy made, the vivid feeling of intense fear she had the entire time she was talking to the guy, Tate. She sighed and said quietly, "You're probably right, Em.. But this house.. There's something wrong with it. You just won't see it."

"It's not the house, Gia. I can't explain it, but I.. I know I'm not in danger. I know about all the other stuff that's happened here.. But I just don't feel like I'm in danger living here, other than that creepy lady down the street, Constance. And I don't even really think she's gonna do anything to hurt me." Emmaleigh said quietly as she added "Besides, Gia.. There's nothing I can do. If I go back, I'm homeless, remember?"

"You are not! Live with me!" Gia insisted as she felt a sharp coldness next to her that made her tense up. She felt the hairs on her arms raising and rubbed her arms as she said quietly, "Sorry, it's just.. I'm gonna miss you." weakly.

Emmaleigh hugged Gia and said with a smile, "And I'm gonna miss you. But I have to do this, G.. It's the only chance I might even remotely have at getting my foot in the door in life. I've always wanted to dance. Now I'm living somewhere that I actually have possibilities other than just being a stripper or something. I have a job here. I have a house that costs nothing to live in except what I put into it for repairs. You can come visit me.. Or I'll come visit you.. I'm not gonna forget you, G."

"You better not, Em." Gia said as she moved over to let Emmaleigh get into the bed beside her. She rolled over on her side and asked quietly, "How do you sleep here with all the noises and the cold drafts?"

"I never actually get cold at night. And you're forgetting.. My mama was the loudest drunken lush in the entire state of Florida. I can pretty much sleep through anything."

"It's not the pills again, right? Because that shrink said you cannot depend on those to stop the episodes. That they're addictive." Gia said as Emmaleigh nodded and said with a yawn, "I know, I know.. I'm not takin 'em unless I get really, really freaked out. I haven't yet. Nothing's happened here yet. I just hope to God all that stuff I've heard and read about this place is hype. Now shut it, G.. I was dreaming about this sexy ass guy just now."

"Ooh, really.. This guy have a name or..." Gia asked as Emmaleigh shrugged and said "Somebody screamed before I got to ask him." as she smiled and laughed a little then asked her friend, "Are you sure you're okay, Gia?"

"I'm fine, Em. It was probably a dream or something. I did have all that wine and at least 5 slices of pizza.. And we did watch Halloween in it's entirety."

"Yeah.. Just like we used to when my mom locked me out and I snuck in your house." Emmaleigh laughed as the two friends settled in to sleep.

(continued)

_Em,_

_If you're reading this then that means you slept through me getting up and hitting the road. Something came up and I had to go. But you'll come see me soon, right? _

_Call me girl, we have got to talk. I mean it._

Even as she wrote it, she felt like the worst person in the world. But Emmaleigh stubbornly refused to leave this damn house for whatever reason. And if she told her friend what might happen, her friend wouldn't believe her and she'd wind up having something bad happen to her. She couldn't pinpoint what made her feel that way other than the dream and the way the house seemed to be changing her friend totally, but she was pretty damn sure that the 'nightmare' from the night before had been real.

She sighed as she grabbed her overnight bags, then used her cell phone to call a cab. As the cab was pulling away from the house, she looked up at the window leading into Emmaleigh's room and gasped as she saw the guy from her nightmare standing there, waving at her, a grim and solemn look on his face. Then the curtains closed.

"You alright back there, miss?" the cabbie asked. She nodded and then said quietly, "Yeah.. Just get me to the fucking airport."

"Ya know.. You're one of the lucky ones.. Normally if somebody stays there, by sun up they're dead. Or crazy. Who do you know that's stayin there?" the cabbie asked as Gia said quietly, "My friend Emmaleigh inherited that house."

"And she's livin in the damn thing? Girls got balls." the cabbie said as Gia bit her lower lip and remained silent.

"Does this thing go any faster?" she asked moments later as the cabbie chuckled and stepped on the gas. The more distance she put between herself and that fucking hell hole, the better off she'd be. Her friend was right.. She couldn't always be there to watch her ass.

Sometimes Gia needed to watch her own ass too. And this was one of those times, apparently.

(continued)

Emmaleigh woke up at 9 and sat up stretching, rubbing her eyes as she looked around her room, shielding her eyes from the sun. The curtains were wide open again, there was a small crack in the window as if someone had left it open to let a little of the cool air from the earlier part of the morning blow in.

She slid off the bed and walked down the hallway, peeked into the room Gia slept in and found a note sitting on the desk. She picked it up and read it, biting her lower lip as she remarked "She was really, really spooked by that nightmare I guess."

She tried her friend's cell phone and it went to voicemail. She hung up and then sighed as she muttered to herself "I'll go visit her when I get a chance." as she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

She screamed as she saw Constance standing on the back patio. "Can you fucking stop doing that shit, lady?" she asked as Constance glared a moment and then asked "Can I come in?"

She nodded and busied herself making coffee. Constance stepped in the french doors that lead off the patio and then sat down at the table, lighting up a cigarette. "Addie tells me ya want to teach her dancing." Constance said after a few moments.

Emmaleigh sat down and slid a cup of coffee to the woman as she said "She's a really quick learner. It'd give her something to do, ma'am and it'd give me some company."

Constance eyed the girl and then said quietly, "House does get lonely sometimes, doesn't it?" as she looked around. Parts of her hoped that Tate hadn't made himself known yet, but she feared the worst.

He couldn't take the pain of losing someone again, losing Violet had really hurt her son. He was a sensitive boy, and when he got hurt, he got angry and lashed out, did stupid things. He couldn't show that he hurt, he had to make the other person hurt.

"It does. I mean I never feel alone.. But.. It's just quiet?" Emmaleigh said as she looked at the woman and sipped her coffee.

Constance sipped the cup in front of her and then asked quietly, "What made you wanna be a dancer? I moved out here to be an actress, you know.. I coulda been the next Marilyn. Met a man and started having babies. Before I knew it I was a grandma and my dream passed me by."

Emmaleigh shrugged and trailed her finger around the rim of the glass as she said quietly, " When I was little.. Dancing was the only thing I could do to make my mom happy with me. And even then it didn't last that long. I guess I just started to love it. It was something I was good at, something I couldn't fuck up."

Constance sighed and looked at the girl then said "I'll let you teach her." as she stood and said "Came over to talk to you about that.. Didn't want her over here bothering you if you didn't want to teach her in the first place."

Emmaleigh nodded and said quietly, "If she wants to learn some more, I'll be in the parlor in an hour or so."

Constance saw Tate watching from the hallway and saw the commanding look on his face. She said with a smile, "My other son's actually home for the weekend. I'll let him walk her over." as she gave Tate a glare when she walked past him.

He smirked to himself and went back down to the basement for a few moments. When he heard the music start up in the parlor, he made his way up and stood in the doorway watching her stretch, licking his lips as he did so.

Emmaleigh looked up and for a split second, she could've sworn she saw someone standing in the doorway but they moved so quickly that she couldn't get a good look at them. She shrugged it off and went back to stretching before standing and turning on her Ipod, sitting it in the docking station that the previous owners had put into the wall.

The entire time she worked on this new free style dance she'd been making up the choreography for, to Leona Lewis Bleeding Love, she could've sworn she felt eyes on her body, watching her every move. And when she finished a ponche roll and stood, she realized why..

Addie and a boy who looked almost the same age as her stood there. The guy had his arms crossed and wore a baggy plaid shirt. He smirked and then raked his hand through his hair as he said simply, "You're good.. You gonna make left foot that good?"

Addie glared at her brother. She hated being forced into doing this. She knew how good and how bad her brother could be, and she knew how mad her mother would be if she told Emmaleigh everything she knew. She didn't wanna go back in the room full of mirrors again.

Emmaleigh smirked as she looked at the guy and shrugging said "She's already pretty damn light on her feet." as she added "I'm Emmaleigh."

"Emma." Tate corrected her as he said with a shrug, "Tate. Wanted to get out of the house.. Mind if I sit here and just watch?"

She couldn't take her eyes off of his, they were this hypnotic shade of warm brown, almost like melted chocolate. She nodded towards the couch and said "Have a seat, Tate." as she turned to Addie and asked "So... Maestro, you pick the music. Maybe we'll teach your brother how to be light on his feet, huh?" as Addie laughed and Tate pretended to pout, then said quietly as he stood and walked over behind Emmaleigh, "Who says I'm not, huh?" before turning her around easily, dipping her.

She laughed and her knees went weak in the same instance. Laughing it off she said with a wink, "Yeah, stud.. Nice try.. But if you wanna impress me?"

"Yeah?" Tate asked as he looked down at her, waiting on her to finish her sentence. She yelped and sprang out of his grip as she held her foot in her hand then said with a laugh, "You're gonna have to learn not to step on my fucking toes." before turning her attention back to Addie's form and posture, correcting the girl gently.

"Haha, funny. I'm really hurt princess." Tate muttered darkly as he stared at her, watched her like a hawk as she moved effortlessly around the room with his sister. He smiled a little and then for a moment, he felt guilty.. He'd felt all of this for Violet and in the end, she'd left him too. The guilt he felt, that he was somehow betraying her, made him angry when he remembered all of that.

But it had been his own fault and he did know that now.

The song switched to an older pop song and he groaned. But the lyrics caught his attention and he resumed watching her like a hawk. Emmaleigh felt her body warming up all over underneath his intent golden brown eyed gaze.

"Don't suppose you have any Cobain on here?" he called out over the music. Emmaleigh turned and then held out her hand, took the Ipod from him as she scrolled through the list and found In Bloom then hit play.

"You can do that shit to Nirvana?" he asked as he nodded to her movements, brow raised, hand in his hair.

Emmaleigh looked at Addie and asked with a teasing grin "Does he always ask this many questions?"

"Mhmm." Addie said quietly, glaring at her brother. She hated having to lie to a girl who'd been nothing but nice to her, but she didn't want to be punished by her mom or have her dead brother angry and lashing out at her, either.

And maybe they were all right.. Maybe Emmaleigh wouldn't leave him like Violet had.

Maybe he'd be different.

(continued)

Addie had just gone home with her brother and Emmaleigh had just sprawled out across the couch in the parlor, exhausted, remote in hand, intending to find something on tv worth the hassle of watching. She knew she needed to sleep, but she was still too keyed up from the events of the past 2 weeks and then the whole bizarre episode that happened when Gia spent the night and left abruptly the next morning.

The door being banged on had her raising a brow and she walked to it, looked out through the decorative glass in the top of it and found a woman with one good eye, one bad eye and bright red hair standing there. She got the chill again, but she ignored it. Ghosts aren't real, she reminded herself as she called out "Who's there?" through the safety of the closed door.

"I'm hoping I can talk to the lady of the house? About a job cleaning up the place?" Moira asked as she stared at the closed door, waiting patiently.

Someone had to watch over that poor girl with Nora and Tate both scheming where she was concerned. She didn't want another innocent dying in the house. Especially not with all the girl on the other side of the door had been through in life already.

Emmaleigh mulled it over a moment. The chils continued and she bit her lip as she took a few deep breaths and muttered to herself "Ghosts are not real, damn it. And they don't ask people for cleaning jobs." as she reached for the knob and slowly pulled the door open, stepping out of the way so the older woman could walk in.

"Is your mother in, dear?" Moira asked, knowing full well that Emmaleigh lived here totally alone. Emmaleigh shook her head and said quietly, "My mom's dead. It's just me living here." which made Moira look at her oddly.

"You look so young though."

"I know.. But trust me. I've taken care of myself so long it's nothing now. That job... How much are you wanting to be paid?" Emmaleigh asked as the woman shook her head and said quietly, "Whatever you can afford, ma'am. That was my deal with the Harmon family and the two gentlemen who lived here before them."

Emmaleigh thought it over, doing the math in her head. Even if she was one of 'them' she didn't feel like a bad person. She couldn't possibly be a ghost though.

"How about 100 a week? It's not much.. But maybe soon I'll be able to raise it. I mean I really need the help, this place is hell to clean alone. And I'm totally willing to help you too." Emmaleigh insisted politely, the woman shaking her head as she said "Don't you have school to worry about?"

"And work, starting tomorrow, actually.. When can you start?" Emmaleigh asked, shaking off the woman's concern, not used to having someone concerned about her.

"Tomorrow morning. Just leave the key somewhere I can find it." Moira said as convincingly as she could. It wasn't like she actually needed a key to get in, what with being trapped on the property, only allowed to leave it on Halloween.

"I will. Your name is, ma'am?" Emmaleigh asked as Moira smiled and said "It's Moira. What's yours?"

"Emmaleigh.. You can call me Emma or Em though." Emmaleigh said as she let the woman out and closed the door behind her.

Gradually, the temperature in the air returned to normal and for a moment, Emmaleigh wondered if she hadn't just seen another one of them.

Then she wondered why the woman, if she had been a spirit, hadn't looked like they usually had when she was a kid..

Down the hall, Ben watched the girl moving around, getting ready for work and class in the morning. He looked at the bottle of pills in his hands and shook his head, muttered quietly, "Talking about it is better than medicating the problem into non existance." as he sat the pills back on the shelf in the downstairs bathroom.

He glared as he saw Tate walking past, heading to the basement. Grabbing him, he pinned the kid against a wall and asked quietly, "What the fuck do you think you're going to do with this one? I've already lost my own daughter because of you. I'm not gonna sit back and watch you mess with this girls head too."

Tate glared at him and burst into laughter as he said quietly, "Actually, Dr. Harmon, if you wanna go there.. We both lost Violet, didn't we? Because who's stuck right here with me?" with a menacing tone to his voice. Ben loosened his hold and growled as he said "That girl has enough problems, Tate. I won't let you do this again."

"Try and stop me, Dr. Harmon.. And even though I know you won't believe it, I'll say it again.. I'm not the same guy.. You really did help me. And I'm not up to something. I just want what everyone else wants.. I wanna feel like someone loves me and actually needs me. I want to be wanted."

Ben grumbled and the appearance of Nora had him loosening his hold on Tate's shirt as Nora asked quietly, "Is there a problem here?"

"Not at all. Just telling Tate that whatever he's got in mind for the girl is only going to backfire."

"Oh? Well I don't think it will, Dr. Harmon. Maybe he has good intentions this time. And she's my great great grand niece, after all."

Ben gave her a look and then made his way to his office upstairs for the remainder of the night, angered. Somehow, he had to put a stop to this idiotic idea Tate had about forcing someone to fall in love with him. And Nora's idea that having her great great grand niece here was actually helping her deal with her own issues.

"Even in death I'm still dealing with the craziest ones." he muttered as he sat in his chair staring at a picture of himself, Vivian and Violet, taken when they'd first moved into Murder House.

He'd give anything to bring them back.

But knowing he couldn't, he fully intended on stopping whatever idea Nora and Tate had in store for this new owner of the house. Maybe he could help her in the process.

(continued)

She'd just lain down in bed when she heard rocks being thrown up at her window. She raised a brow and slid out of bed, walking over to the bay windows that looked out into the yard. She found Tate standing below, looking up at the window.

"I have a front door." she pointed out sleepily as he shrugged and started to make his way up the tree beside her window, then across the branch that was right in front of the window. He stepped through the window and said with a smirk, "I know.. But I thought you'd appreciate the cliché in the gesture."

"What are you doing awake this late, even?" she asked as she looked at her clock and realized that it read midnight.

She cut her eyes back to him and he shrugged and then said calmly, "Wanted to get out of that damn house." focusing on the wall, his face solemn as he said the words. Playing the 'misunderstood and sensitive bad guy' had gotten him pretty far with Violet before he messed it all up, only after he'd managed to fall in love with her.

Maybe it'd work with Emma too.

"Yeah.. I can see how you'd want to, I mean your mom.. She's something." Emmaleigh said as Tate sat down on the bed next to her and said "We don't get along. I don't even know why I came home this weekend.. Now I'm kinda glad I did." lying easily, regretting it.

Somehow, all the lies would come back and bite him in the ass.

Emmaleigh shivered as she felt the cold again. She looked at Tate a moment, started to say something but kept quiet, all the taunts she'd heard as a kid when she'd say something about 'strange people' that weren't there and couldn't be seen by others coming back to haunt her as soon as she went to open her mouth.

But that was twice today she'd gotten the damn chills.. She only got those kind of chills when it was about to happen and she was about to have what her shrink and her mother both called "her episodes."

"You okay?" Tate asked in concern as he looked at her. She nodded and then said "Yeah.. I think the thermostat's stuck again or something."

"Yeah, it's probably stuck." Tate said as he looked at her a moment, concerned.

They sat there a few moments quietly and he spoke up finally to ask her, "So.. What made you actually move into this hell hole?"

Emmaleigh shrugged and said quietly, "I don't know.. But I do know that if I hadn't, I'd be homeless by now. The bank was about to take my mom's trailer back in Florida, I was barely paying for my own food and the other bills, we won't even start on how much she owed on the damn thing that was behind, even working a job at night and all weekend." before fixing her eyes on him, only to find him watching her intently again like he had earlier when she'd been teaching Addie how to dance.

"So.. Leave anybody behind in Florida?" Tate asked, mostly to make conversation, mostly in curiousity. He fixed his eyes on her, prepared for her to say yes and his anger to manifest itself before he had a chance to calm down. Instead, she looked at him and laughed as she shook her head then said quietly, "I'm not really good with people.. Never actually have been." before tilting her head up, holding his gaze.

He held her gaze and bit his lower lip as he leaned forward, brushed hair out of her eyes as he said casually, "It was bugging the hell out of me."

"Ahh." Emmaleigh said as her skin tingled and felt chilled where he'd just touched it.

She was seriously starting to wonder if she were losing her mind, because she'd been okay, episode free for years.. Until the day she got the letter about this house. And in the days since, it'd gotten progressively worse. She was starting to think she saw them everywhere.

Even in the house, sometimes, in shadows.

Like they were watching her and waiting on something, or something like that. But she didn't feel threatened, not like she had many other times before, when she'd seen them as a younger child.

"So.. Did you leave a girl behind when you left to come here, Tate?" she asked, smirking at him, waiting and watching his facial expression as he looked at her and shaking his head, he laughed solemnly, an almost sad sounding laugh. "There was a girl, I really loved her, ya know.. but she broke it off with me about 4 years ago. Haven't really dated or anything since."

Emmaleigh studied him a few moments and then nodded her head as she said quietly, "Oh.. I'm sorry, I didn't realize the question was gonna like hurt or something."

"It didn't." Tate said as he looked at her and then said " It's over and done with now. I mean I'm not still pining after the girl or anything..Just really haven't seen an opportunity to move on or anything. Haven't bothered trying." as he leaned in a little.

Emmaleigh nodded and mulled over it a moment and then said "I dated a guy in high school.. We were kind of in love? I'm not sure, but anyway, he got closer to me than anyone has, really.. I mean anyone but my best friend Gia.. And when he found out things about me.. Bam.. he was gone, I was nothing to him." as she held Tate's gaze.

Silverchair started to play in the background and he looked at her, brow raised as he asked "You like them?"

"Hey.. You like Nirvana. No judgement there, I happen to like Nirvana too. Just love this song, actually." Emmaleigh said as Tate nodded and leaned in a little more than said quietly, "I never said Silverchair was a bad band.. I just figured that given what you were playing while you were teaching my sister how to dance..."

"I just played that because it's easier to dance to it. But as long as you feel it, you know, honest to god feel it, you can dance to anything."

"Oh really? You can huh?" Tate asked as he smirked at her, leaning in some more, asking quietly, "Name a band you can dance to that you wouldn't think of.. None of that pop bullshit either."

"Metallica, Fade To Black.. I actually did a competition for some dance show back in Florida, used a dance I made up to that song as my entry. I got runner up." Emmaleigh pouted as Tate chuckled and said quietly, "So you hate losing too?"

"God yes. I am extremely competitive."

"Interesting. And do you always let strange guys into your bedroom window at night or..." Tate said as she gave him a dirty look and then turned around his question asking him, "And do you always stand below the windows of girls you've only just met and throw rocks up?"

"Only if I really, really, really want to see them." Tate answered calmly as she bit her lower lip and nodded, staying silent.

When she looked at the clock, she gaped and then groaned as she said "It's after 2. I'm soooo not going to want to wake up and go in to work, or to class afterward."

"Where are you working?" he asked in curiousity as she said "I'm a secretary at Westfield High."

"Damn.. Almost makes me wish I was still in high school." Tate joked as he looked at her and said "I'm gonna go now." standing, walking to the window.

"Hey.. If you want, you can come by again tomorrow night. I mean if you're still here." Emmaleigh offered, then bit her lower lip, shocked at herself.

What was up with her?

Nothing she was doing lately, or that was happening to her, rather, was like her, not at all. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one, either.

"I think I can manage to stick around." Tate said with a shrug as he scrambled down the tree and then out of sight, ducking into the basement, smiling to himself. It felt good to have someone to talk to for hours at a time again.


	6. Chapter 5

(HUGE HUG AND SHOUTOUT TO MY FOLLOWERS FOR THIS STORY AND MY REVIEWER. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! AND THANKS FOR THE REVIEW. I REALLY HOPE THIS ISN'T THE WORST FIC EVER WRITTEN, BUT I'M SKEPTIC SO I FEAR IT IS. BUT YOU GUYS KEEP ME GOING AND WORKING ON IT. **POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING SUBJECTS IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. NOT SEX OR ANYTHING, BUT ALCOHOL/PILL ABUSE AND A GHOST TRIES TO FORCE EMMALEIGH INTO SUICIDE.)**

CHAPTER FIVE

(PICKS UP A FEW WEEKS LATER.)

She'd just gotten back from work and then her classes for the day and saw a man standing on her porch as if he were waiting on someone. She raised a brow and called out from the window of her car, "Lookin for somebody, sir?"

"Just passing out cards.. To advertise." Ben said as Emmaleigh nodded and walked up onto the porch after getting out of her car. She took the card in his hand and then said with a smile, "So shrinks make house calls out here, huh?"

"It pays the bills and it's cheaper than renting an office space. I have a theory, actually, that the best breakthroughs are made when the shrink goes to the patient as opposed to the patient coming in, lying on some uncomfortable couch for an hour. This way it's more like a visit than something you have to do, something you dread. It's more personal."

"Ahh.. That's certainly an innovative approach." Emmaleigh mused as she stuck the card into her wallet. She looked up at him and asked casually, "Is it cold out here to you? It's kinda chilly to me.." biting her lower lip. The entire time she'd been talking to him, she'd had the chills and they hadn't let up yet. It was really starting to make her edgy in all honesty.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked her as she said quietly, "Yeah.. Maybe I'm feverish or something." while looking at him intently. Was he one of 'them' too?

Or was she finally losing her mind completely?

A throat clearing from behind them made her turn around. The air was colder now, but there was also an electric current to it almost. Tate stood there, arms crossed as he looked at Ben, the anger barely hidden. Emmaleigh, of course, hadn't ever seen Tate angry, so she didn't realize that he was angry right now. She barely knew the guy after all.

"This guy's a fucking rip off." Tate said calmly as Emmaleigh looked from the visitor to Tate and back again. Was it just her or did he look really, really jealous right now?

It was setting off warning bells, but not badly enough that she wanted to get away from Tate now. Ben noticed that and internally, he wondered if Tate hadn't already somehow managed to get his hooks into the girl.

They'd only seen each other a hand full of times now, but he'd worked quickly with Violet too. And Ben knew, or at least he thought he knew, that Tate's intentions with Emmaleigh were no more noble than they had been with Violet.

That'd been why he lost her.

"Okay then.." Emmaleigh muttered as she raked her hand through her long thick hair and then spoke aloud, saying "While you two are having some kind of Mexican standoff, I'm gonna go in and have a glass of moscato."

Tate glared at Ben as Emmaleigh walked into her house, shut the door behind her, calmly. The second she was away from the two males, the temperature returned to normal and the chills all but vanished. She raked her hand through her hair but shook her head and tossed back another of the pills, chasing it with a huge sip from a bottle of Barefoot Moscato wine.

"What the hell was Tate's problem with the guy I wonder?" she mused to herself as the housekeeper walked in and said with a gentle smile, "All finished for the day, ma'am. Chad and Patrick left their ideas for the rest of the renovation in the office."

"Have a glass of wine with me, Moira?" Emmaleigh asked, not anxious to be alone in the house again. She'd had a really, really weird day, and she just wanted to talk to someone.

The chills ran over her quickly, and Moira asked her quietly "Are you alright, ma'am?" when she choked on the wine she'd just taken a sip of. "I'm fine, I just.. It's been a strange day." Emmaleigh said as Moira nodded and then said "I'll be going now. I'd drink the wine with you, but I've been sober for so long now.."

"It's fine, I understand." Emmaleigh said with a polite nod as she chugged another few large sips and looked out the window, watching Tate and the other man talking, it seemed like there was a great deal of animosity between the two men.

"I wonder how the hell he knows Dr. Harmon?" Emmaleigh mused aloud as she sipped from the bottle of wine. The door to the house shut and she heard Tate calling her name in the hallway. "In here." she said as she peeked out of the kitchen, held up her wine bottle.

Tate grumbled and then asked "Isn't it a little early?" remembering what she had the habit of doing, taking at least two of the 'pills' and then shotgunning a generous portion of wine to wash them down. He'd read the labels, he knew what she was doing wasn't good.

"Oh come on, seriously?" Emmaleigh grumbled as she said quietly, "No, Tate, not after the day I've had it's not, actually."

He looked at her carefully then said "Just worried, that's all.. What happened today, huh?"

"I panicked or something, I don't know. Either way, it happened during lunch, there was a crowd of students in the office and yeah.. I remember why the fucking hell I hated high school so much when I was a student now." Emmaleigh sighed as she bit her lower lip at the feel of his hands on her shoulders.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked as he leaned in closer, pinning her between the counter and himself, his hands roaming now as he stared at their combined reflection in the kitchen's window.

"Not particularly, no." Emmaleigh groaned and licked her lips as she turned to look up at Tate and asked him in curiousity, "So.. What's the story with you and the shrink?"

"Let's just say he blames me for his daughter committing suicide. She and I dated and she'd been depressed for a while. For the guy to be such a damn good shrink, you'd think he'd have seen all the signs in his own kid, right?" Tate said quietly, his warm brown eyes momentarily looking saddened as he looked at her, held her gaze.

"Why do you take those pills, Emma?" he asked quietly as she looked at him, stammered a moment.. How'd he know about the pills?

If he'd seen her with them, had he read the bottle or something?

"Because, Tate, I have to, okay? Or I won't be.. I won't be okay. And I have to be okay. I don't want to wind up like her.. I don't want to be insane." as she looked at him and then said "You wouldn't get it." before changing the subject, asking him, "How was your day?"

"Same old shit, different day." Tate said vaguely, looking at her, wondering why he got the distinct feeling she was hiding something from him.

And why it bugged him so much to have the possibility of the shoe being on the other foot come into play. He knew he was hiding things from her. It really made him angry that she might be hiding things from him too. And it concerned him even if he'd never admit it.

They'd only known each other for a few weeks by now, and she was just starting to let her guard down and consider him as a friend.

"So pretty much your basic Monday, huh?"

"Mhmm." Tate said as he turned her around again and said calmly, "If you want to tell me stuff.. I'll listen. We're friends, remember?"

"I know, I just.. Some things I don't tell anybody about." Emmaleigh insisted as Tate looked at her and then nodded. He knew how that felt.

After all, he'd managed to keep his psychopathic tendencies well under wraps until one day he just couldn't anymore and he'd snapped, taken out a ton of people before he was finally gunned down by a SWAT team.

But hey, she had no idea.

And for now, he was going to keep it that way.

The door was knocked on and she raised a brow but then walked to it, opening it. She raised a brow and rubbed her arms. She was getting the chills again and she was really starting to wonder if she were really just overreacting, or if something was going on.

"Yeah?"

"My car broke down.. Can I use your phone?" the zoned out woman asked as Emmaleigh bit her lower lip and said "I actually don't have a landline." and slammed the door shut in her face, turning to Tate who held a finger to his lips, straining to hear.

"She's strung out.. Might still be outside." he whispered as Nora watched from a far corner in the room, nodding at Tate, mouthing "Make sure she does not get hurt. You promised."

He nodded and then said aloud "Stay here.. I'm gonna make sure that woman left. She hangs around the neighborhood a lot, she's one of those "serial killer groupies" I think." as he gave Emmaleigh a firm look. She nodded and said quietly, "Just be careful. I mean she didn't look all there in the head, man."

"And neither do I." Tate mused as she raised a brow then said "You're harmless, Tate."

"You barely know me, Emmaleigh." Tate muttered as he made his way out of the kitchen and down the hallway. He'd killed the woman and her two friends once, then dragged them off the property as they were dying. Apparently, he hadn't dragged them far enough, because there they stood, on the stoop, trying to hurt Emmaleigh. The thought had the rage searing through his veins and he was dying to get his hands on the three of them.

They were not messing this up for him. And tonight was a golden opportunity to prove to Emmaleigh he could be so much more than her friend.

That he could make her start falling for him. After all, what girl didn't like a hero?

He caught up to the group of three outside and growled "You idiots again? I thought I handled you already."

"Well, we were bored.. We missed it, killing.. Besides, the girl in there.. So tempting.. Is it true she is a direct descendant of Dr. Montgomery's wife Nora?"

"It is. But you won't touch her. I'll fucking murder you, all three of you, again. I will not hesitate." Tate said calmly as he looked at the three of them, arms crossed. The blonde girl, the spokeswoman of the group, glared at him and said "We need her, Tate.. There's this ritual.. We can bring him back.. You have no idea what she is, do you?"

He glared at them a little while, they weren't making any sense. He got the feeling that they knew something he didn't, and he hated that.

Instead of asking, he calmly grabbed a gas can, soaking the group of 3 in it, lighting a match and walking away. He wondered what they'd been about to tell him..

And he got a feeling that if they picked up on whatever it was about her that was 'special', then it wouldn't be too long and the other ghosts in residence, or in the general vicinity for that matter, would. Biting his lower lip he walked back inside to her and slipped up behind her quietly in the kitchen, startling her, laughing about it nonchalantly as he said "They left."

"They? I thought it was the one girl?"

"She had two friends who were gonna break in here and hurt you. But I made them leave." Tate said as she looked at him a moment, chills running down her arms and body, not sure if she wanted to know what he might have done to make the girl and her two friends leave.

Nor what he meant by his cryptic remark before he'd walked out the door. "Thanks. For making them leave." Emmaleigh muttered as he nodded and took the wine bottle out of her hands, chugging it himself. This whole concept of his even feeling anything for her had him unsettled, more now than before, because according to the three he'd just done away with again, she had something they wanted. That a lot of the non living residents wanted, apparently.

Emmaleigh laughed and took the wine bottle as she said "And you were just lecturing me?"

"Yeah well you didn't just chase three assholes through woods full of briars and stuff in the fucking dark either." Tate mused darkly as she looked at him and then asked "Are you alright? You're moodier than normal tonight."

"Just need to think, Emma." Tate said as he pulled her against him and muttered quietly, "You confused everything when you moved here. You know that, right?"

She looked up at him, brow raised. There he went with the remarks again. She got the feeling that he meant a lot by them, that they were things he couldn't (and probably wouldn't) let himself say.

"O-okay?" she mumbled as he leaned down, his hands gripping her hips roughly, picking her up and sitting her on a counter, pulling her into an intense biting kiss. She gasped and he grunted, his tongue prying her lips apart, tangling with and crashing against her tongue as he looked at her and said quietly, "It just freaked me out okay? The whole thing a few minutes ago. I didn't think it'd freak me out.. Those three tried to hurt that girl that I was telling you about.."

"Oh.. So you knew them?"

"Mhmm."

She looked up at him, they were doing it again, their bodies migrating close together. She bumped into his solid muscular frame and then said quietly, "I'm glad you were here just now."

He nodded and said quietly "Me too. You need to get the security system fixed." as he studied her, biting his lower lip. The taste of her kiss still filled his lips and he was tempted to do it again.

Emmaleigh felt this pull to Tate's lips, but she ignored it. Just like she was ignoring the voice as it told her quietly, calmly, _'He's here to keep you safe and make you happy.. Think of him as a gift, Emmaleigh. From one lonely female to another. Like the house and the necklace.'_

"STOP TALKING TO ME!" she shouted at the insistent voice as she stepped back, Tate watching her in concern as she gripped her hair and shouted things at something he couldn't see. She looked up at him and said quietly, "You have to go. I can't... I don't want you to see me like this.." before running up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door shut, locking it as she slid down, sat in front of it with her head on her knees and her hand in her hair.

Tate jogged up the stairs, knocking on the door as he called out "Too much wine?"

"Go."

"Nope. Not gonna happen." Tate said firmly as he called out through the door, "Fucking let me in, Emma, c'mon."

"Go now, Tate, I mean it. You're pretty much the only real friend I have here and I don't want you thinking I'm a raving lunatic too." Emmaleigh said as she wiped at her eyes, stood and looked at the door.

Tate grumbled and then muttered quietly, "Way to fuckin go, Nora. Scare the hell out of her by talking to her mentally and not just showing yourself. If you fuck this up for me, woman, there will be nowhere safe in this fucking house." as he entered the basement and looked around for her.

Nora stood in the hallway, shaking her head. Why couldn't she show herself to Emmaleigh, show her she meant her no harm?

She hadn't meant to scare the girl or upset her just now, she just wanted Emmaleigh to accept Tate. After all, Nora was the reason Emmaleigh had been found.. Because Tate promised her something, and she wasn't about to let him off the hook.. And Emmaleigh needed a family, she needed to embrace what she was and what she could do. She needed Tate and he needed her.

She was killing quite a few birds with one stone, really, and getting what she'd wanted so badly for so very long now to boot.

She smiled to herself a little and then disappeared to her own area of the house.

Soon things would work themselves out.

Emmaleigh sat in her room, staring at the mirror, her own reflection. She hadn't slept in almost 4 weeks now, not consistently enough to be well rested. Her skin was pale, her eyes were dull.

She drank constantly and the pills were working on yet another refill.

She swore and slung a hairbrush at her mirror as she muttered quietly, "I'm not gonna become my mom. I won't. I'll die before I let it happen, I will."

A mocking voice, darker and more sinister than the usual one who 'talked to her' in the house said with an evil laugh, "_You will. You're every bit as crazy as your mother. Your bitch of a great great grand aunt was nuts too.. Oh she tried to hide it, but she was every bit as crazy as you and your mom, kid. She drove me to do things.. Things I didn't really want to do. But I did them for her. And how'd she thank me? She killed us all. I made her a NEW son, a better son.. Still wasn't good enough. Maybe I should take you from her. You know why she wants you here, right? If you're smart, girl.. If you're really smart, you'll get the fuck out now."_

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Emmaleigh shouted as she looked at the shattered mirror, the fragments of her reflection as if she were in a trance, out of her own body and being controlled by someone else.

She saw a flash of white behind her, it looked like the coat of one of her doctors, when her mom threw her in one of those 'homes' for the crazy people when she'd been about 12 or so.. Shivering, she said quietly, "You're not real. Go away." as she lifted the glass shard in her hand and raised it to her neck..

Somewhere in the house, an evil laugh rang out and Nora found him in Emmaleigh's room as soon as she realized what her former husband was up to... "Charles."

"Nora, darling. How nice of you to drop in."

"Your problem is with me, not her."

"No, dear.. My problem is with this house.. And this idea that that stupid kid will get you another baby. You murdered the one I made you. It wasn't good enough." the man said as she glared at him and said through gritted teeth, "Leave our son Thaddeus out of this. You made him a MONSTER!"

"I gave you your son back you ungrateful bitch."

"You forced my hand, Charles, that's why we're stuck here. If you hadn't wasted your potential, drank it all away, thrown away ALL of our money, Charles, on idiotic things.." Nora paced as she said these things to him angrily.

"And here she goes again.. Nothing's ever good enough for Nora. Nobody's ever going to please her." the doctor said as he took a huge swill from a bottle of Absinthe and staggered towards the girl who was lying on the floor, blacked out.

Of course, Nora couldn't let him do the girl a favor, end her life now before Nora made her insane and that stupid kid got his hooks in.

Of course Nora had to stop him by knocking the girl to the ground, making her hit her head on the sink on her way down, making the shard of glass fall out of her open hand.

As usual, the bitch was around messing up his carefully laid plans.

Emmaleigh lie there, the blackness and silence a welcome thing. No nightmares, no hearing people that didn't and shouldn't exist talking to her.

No chills, no fear, just sleep.

She heard someone calling her name and her eyelids flittered open as Addie and her mother ran in, Constance helping the girl up and sitting her on the bed.

"Are you alright?"

"I.. I fell or something I guess." Emmaleigh muttered, her memory of the past 15 or so minutes foggier than normal for her after one of her episodes.

"Addie found ya, came and got me." Constance said as she looked at Emmaleigh, who sighed and said "I'm fine. I guess I just fell down and hit my head on the damn sink." as Constance nodded and then asked "Need the hospital, girl?"

She shivered and shook her head, said quickly, "Hate hospitals. I'd die be fore I went to one again." as Constance eyed the girls forehead, the cut on it, then said "Whatever you say."

"Thanks, though.. For coming over?" Emmaleigh muttered as the woman nodded, held out a rag and then said quietly, "Don't thank me girl, thank her. If she wouldn't have been snoopin around in this damn house again.."

Emmaleigh nodded and said quietly, "Thanks, Addie. We'll have another dance lesson tomorrow? I was going to do it today, I think I just need to sleep."

"You might wanna stay awake, girl. Took one hell of a blow to the head." Constance said simply before turning and walking out.

Addie bit her lip, silent. Now more than anything she wanted to warn Emmaleigh about everything. But she didn't want her mother or Tate punishing her for not keeping quiet.


	7. Chapter 6

(HUGE HUG AND SHOUTOUT TO MY FOLLOWERS FOR THIS STORY AND MY REVIEWER. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! AND THANKS FOR THE REVIEW. I REALLY HOPE THIS ISN'T THE WORST FIC EVER WRITTEN, BUT I'M SKEPTIC SO I FEAR IT IS. BUT YOU GUYS KEEP ME GOING AND WORKING ON IT.**)**

CHAPTER SIX

(PICKS UP THE NEXT DAY.)

She rolled over and her nose buried in something firm, smooth almost like polished marble. Peeking through one open eye, she saw Tate lying there, asleep. She sat up and looked down beneath the sheet, preparing herself mentally for what she might have done in an alcohol induced haze the night before, given that he was lying in bed, next to her, shirtless.

She took a huge and relieved breath when she realized she was still wearing the nightie she'd been wearing when she'd changed to go to bed last night. Nothing had happened between them, she remembered finally with relief, he'd just told her he was staying, just in case the three weirdos from the night before came back or something and tried to finish what they hadn't gotten to do. She poked his chest tentatively, he rolled onto his side, a light snore creeping out of his partially open mouth.

"Rise and shine, Tate." she mumbled as he grumbled, gave her an angry glare and sat up, asked her quietly, "You okay?" which she nodded yes to and then said "You didn't have to stay last night. I'd have been fine, I mean I think I would've." while looking at him intently, remembering the kiss from the night before. He shrugged and said solemnly, "I wasn't going to leave you here alone with a broken security system, either." as he licked his lips, toyed for a split second with leaning in, pulling her into his lap and giving her a few more of those kisses like the one they'd had the night before, but he refrained from doing so. He didn't want to fall for her, he was doing everything in his power to stop that very thing from happening.

But in the same token, he couldn't stop himself from it, couldn't make himself not want her. He wanted her and he wanted her to belong to him. That kiss the night before had been a teasing gesture for him in that respect, it'd only fuelled his fire and made him want more. His hand shot out, rested on her bare upper thigh as she looked at him, then at his hand and asked quietly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." he muttered as he asked her "Are you okay?" while studying her intently, the words of the ghosts that'd came to try and hurt her the night before coming back to him in the light of day, making him wonder all over again what she wasn't telling him, what the non living residents of Murder House might want with her.

"I'm fine. Head hurts a little but I'm okay." Emmaleigh muttered as she bit her lower lip and looked at him for a moment, intently, wondering what he'd do if she just leaned in and kissed him like he had her the day before. She wondered now, if maybe he weren't regretting the kiss, he did seem almost angry or something at the moment. Chills ran over her body slowly and she pulled the covers tighter around her as he asked with a smirk "Cold?"

"A little, yeah." she admitted as he looked at her, leaned in and felt her forehead with the back of his hand, eyeing her. "You don't feel like you got a fever."

"It happens sometimes, okay? I just get.. I get chills." she mumbled quietly as she looked down, kept her eyes off of him for a few moments. She couldn't keep her secret much longer, every time she saw him, she came thisclose to almost telling him what she could do, why she took the pills, why she didn't dare let anyone close to her. But she knew what would happen if she did tell him, so she kept quiet.

His arms went around her and he chuckled as he nipped at her neck from behind, said bitterly, "You seem like you're a million miles away." and she answered quietly, "Just thinking, Tate. I mean I'm just thinking about stuff, that's all."

"About last night?" he asked, curious, a momentary angry gleam coming to his eyes and she shook her head and said quietly, "No.. Not like that. Just thinking about other things."

"Such as?"

"I can't tell you, Tate or I swear to God I would." she said as he grumbled and then muttered "Sure you would. Because everybody tells me when they're gonna leave."

She looked at him a moment, brow raised and said quietly, "This has nothing to do with me leaving. You, maybe.. Not me." as she looked out the window, feeling awkward, very underdressed.

"That makes no fuckin sense. If I didn't like you, Emma, I wouldn't have kissed you. I wouldn't have just lay here in bed with you all night, not trying anything. Contrary to what you seem to think about me, I'm not a nice guy." Tate muttered darkly as she sighed and said "Look.. I'll tell you sooner or later, okay? Until then, just be okay with not knowing." and looked at the window, at the sunshine outside.

He stretched and nodded then said "Let's go find something to eat." standing, pulling her up off the bed, grumbling and forcing himself to focus on other things when the sheet came down and he saw her in the nightie she wore to bed the night before, exposed like she was. It was tempting.

And he'd never been very good at ignoring temptations.

They walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, and when they sat down, Moira walked into the room. She took one look at Tate, at Emmaleigh and then she gasped in shock. "This is my friend, Tate.. he stayed with me last night after something really, really weird happened. You've met him, remember?" which Moira nodded to and then said quietly, "I'll go clean in the other rooms, leave you two to eat in peace." while giving Tate a dirty look, mouthing to him "This is going to backfire, and you will only hurt her."

He mouthed back "Not if you don't fuck it up, Moira. Don't piss me off." as Emmaleigh poured them cereal and wasn't watching the two of them. Moira left the room and Emmaleigh shoved a bowl of cereal at him, handed him a spoon as she asked quietly, "Last night.. What did those people want?"

"I've got no idea.. But if I were you, Emma, I'd call the security company today, make someone fix the system." Tate answered as he studied her intently, eating, or pretending to eat, rather, his cereal.

She nodded quietly, then said again, "Thanks for staying last night. You really didn't have to."

He shrugged it off and then stood and said "I'm gonna get going. I stayed Emma, because we're friends." as he held her gaze, the kiss replaying itself in his mind one more time. So he'd rushed a little, he'd gotten antsy. But he wanted this to happen so much that he couldn't help but rush it. Leaving, or making her think he had, he found himself in the basement, puzzling over his situation, wondering what the three ghosts from the night before meant about her..

And why he got a bad feeling about their intentions.

He scowled. He didn't want to feel anything for her, but it was happening. Whether he liked it or not.


End file.
